Replaceable seat on diaphragmoperated relief valves



Sept. 3', 1940- J. M. WILKINS 2,213,190

REPLACEABLE SEAT 0N DIAPHRAGM-OPERATED RELIEF VALVES Filed May l2, 1938 -Patented Sept. 3, 1940 UNITED `STATES PATENT orrlcr.

REPLACEABLE SEAT' oN DIA'PHRAGM- oPEnA'rED RELIEF VALVES James M. Wkin's; Morrisonvlle, Ill. Application May 12, i938, sei-iai No. 207,634 ,'1 claim. (01.137-53) vision of an automatically operated valve which may be tested manually and which has avalve readily removable per se without necessitating the disassembling of the valve construction so that by the removal of a plug said valve-and its supporting means may be withdrawn from theA valve body without requiring the removal of a diaphragm operating the valve in accordance with internal pressures within the valve body.

This invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, in View of the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specication; nevertheless, it is to be understood that the invention is not coniind to the disclosure, being susceptible of such changes and modications as'dene no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claim. In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a valve construction,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary verticalv section showing the valve at approximately 90' from the v position shown in Fig. 1, ,fH

Figure 3 is a vertical( section taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Figure 4 is a verticalsection taken along the.

line 4-4 of Fig. 3, Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the valve holder with the valve removed, and

Figure 6 shows a modied form vol. the construction having an external means fortesting the operation of the valve. Referring more particularly to the drawing, I0

designates a valve body having a pressure chamis sealed from a spring chamber I9 in the` cap I4. The valve body also contains an outlet chama5 ber zu which is inommunication with the ouuet nipple I3. This nipple is internally threaded to receive a pipe connection for carrying uid away from the valve body.

' Y The bottom portion 2I of the outlet chamber is provided with an opening and the Walls of this 5 opening are threaded, as shown at 22, to receive a removable plug 23. L A` partition 24 separates the pressure chamber Il from the outlet chamber 20. The partition is provided with a threaded opening 25 into 10 which is screwed a valve seat 26.

'I'he valve seat is in the form of a sleeve having a' lower ange 21 adapted to engage the underfaoe of the partition 24 for sealing the partition against the loss of fluid between the cham- 15 bers II and 2 0 at the threaded opening 25. 'The internal Aface of the. sleeve 26 is provided with lugs 28 which are adapted to be engaged by a screw driver or other suitable instrument for.

screwing the sleeve in place or for removing the 2o same. The upper end of the sleeve is provided with a valve seat 29.

A cup-shaped member 30 has a iiange 3 I' which is embedded in the diaphragm I8 and connected thereto in any approved manner. The member 25 30 forms 'a'housing for a spring 32y which has its upper end in engagement with the inner wall vof the cup-shaped member while the opposite end of the spring rests upon a vdisc 33. The cupshaped member below the-flange 3| is threaded 30 at 34 and is screwed into a valve holder 35. This valve holder or support is in the shape of a cap nut which is screwed up tight against the bottom face of the iiange 3l carried by the diaphragm IB. A diametrical passage 36 is' so drilled in the 35 nut that it will form a semi-circular groove 38 in which the pin 31 is seated at times, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. A slot 39 is formed in the bottom 40 of the nut 35 and is of suilicient length so that the pin 31 may pass through the slot as 40 will be presently explained.

A valve 4I which is' cup-shaped receives a washer 42 and this washer is heldin place by means of a screw 43 which is threaded into a central passage 44 formed in the member 4I. 45 A boss or extension 45 projects from the center of the cup-shaped member 4I and is provided with a diametrically-disposed passage 46 to receive the pin 31. The pin 31 is driven through ithe passage 46 in the boss 45 before the boss 45 50 is received within a central passage 414in the bottom 40 of the nut 35. When the boss is inserted into position the projecting ends of the pin are passed through the slot 39 after which the valve is turned so that the pin win fau into the seat 38. However, when the valve 4I is closed the pin 31V is held slightly above the groove 38. A spring 50 is located within the cap I4 and has its lower end resting upon the ilange, 3| of the spring housing 30 while the upper end is engaged by an adjusting plate 5I.

Y This plate has a central notch 52 receiving the lower end of a bolt 53. This bolt is screwed into a threadedv passage 54 in a boss'55 at the upper end of the cap I4. The outer end 56 of the bolt" is adapted to be engaged by a small pipe wrench ,for turning and setting the bolt and for moving the plate 5I inwardly or outwardly against the spring 50 for increasing or decreasing the tension on the spring. A sleeve 51 surrounds the outerY end of the bolt 53 and is provided with an internal shoulder 58 adapted to engage an external shoulder 59 on the bolt 53 so that after the bolt has been screwed into place any attempts to change the adjustment by rotating the sleeve 51 will have no effect whatever on the bolt since the sleeve may be rotated independently of the bolt.

In Fig. 6--is shown a modied form of the compression vchamber 2!) and this includes an externally threaded boss 50 to receive .a cap nut SI which has a shoulder 62 upon which is adapted to rest a flange 63 of a plug S4. When the nut 6I is screwed into place the plug 64 will be sealed against the loss of iluid at its periphery. A plunger 65 1s mounted for reciprocation within the chamber 20 and is provided with a collar 66 for compressing a sealing washer 61 onto the inner face of the plug 64 to prevent the loss of uid through a central, passage 68 through which the lower end of the piston 65 projects.

The upper end of the piston is provided with an enlargement 10 having a seat 1I adapted to receive ahead 12 of the screw 43. A spring 13 is located between the collar S6 and a shoulder on the head 10 for maintaining the member 10 against the head of the screw 43 and the collar 65 against the washer 61 so that the washer will be pressed against the inner vface of the plug 64;. A lever 15, which is adapted to be manually operated, is pivotally mounted at 16 upon ears 11 formed on theunderface of the plug 343. The lever is provided with a nger 18 adapted to engage the projecting end of the plunger 55 so that when the lever is operated the finger 18 will force the piston 65 inwardly and move'thewasher d2 and likewise the member dl away from the seat 2@ of the sleeve 25. Th'eoperation of my device is as follows: The bolt 53 is adjusted so that the spring 50 will maintain the proper pressure on the diaphragm I8 whereby when uid passes through the pressure chamber H it will raise the diaphragm and open the valve @2 to permit water Ato pass through its normal course through the outlet pipe. If for any reason pressure in the chamber Ii is decreased the diaphragm i8 will be lowered and therefore close the valve Q2 until sufcent pressure is built up'in the chamber il to again operate the -diapliragm i8.

l When the washer d2 wears suiciently and it is necessary to replace said washer the mechanic will remove the plug 23 and the sleeve 26. .By employing the screw driver engaging the" slot 43a in the screw 43 and turning it through an angle of 90 either to the right c r to the left, the pin 31 willalign with the slot 39 (Figs. 4 and 5) after it hasbeen removed from the groove 38 in the bottom of the nut 35. When the alignment occurs the pin may pass through the slot and the valve 4I will pass through the threaded passage 25 and also through the threaded passage22 whence the old washer may be removed and a new one placed therein. The parts just removed may then be returned when the valve is again in condition for proper functioning. The plug 23 and the sleeve 26 must be removed before the valve can be withdrawn.

It will be seen by this Vconstruction that it is not necessary toIl tear down the whole valve structure, that is by the removal of the cap I5 and the diaphragm, to reach the valve 4I. IZi`hese parts can be retained in position without even disturbing the seat tension on the spring 50, since the valve 4I will readily pass through the openings 25 and 22respectively, after the pin 31 has been aligned with the slot 39 in the nut 35.

In the modified form shown-in'Fig. 6 it is only necessary toremove the cap nut 6I whence the entire assembly of "the manual operating means for the valve 4I may be removed. After this the sleeve 26 is unscrewed and as has been previously described the valve 4I may 'be released by rotating it through an angle of 90. Y

There is no danger of the pin 31 being positioned accidentally to fall through the slot 39 at any time during the operation of the device since the spring 32 maintains the said pin seated within .the semi-circular groove 38.

Fingers project upwardly from the side walls of the chamber `I I. The free ends of said fingers support the valve holder 35 at 'all times and the spring 5D presses said holder on to the lingers.

Byy this construction,v the-valve holder is retained in a predetermined position so that when it is .desired to remove valve 4I, the operator is not required to make any effort to support the 4member 35. The valve 4I is pressed towards the seat 29 by the spring32.

I claim:

In an automatic valve construction, a housing formed of an upper and. lower section, a diaphragm clamped between the two sections, an inverted cup-shaped member carried by the diaphragm and having a threaded portion depending from said diaphragm, the lower section having threaded inlet and outlet connections for rigidly securing the body to Vluid conducting pipes, a valve having a stem removably suspended from the diaphragm, a partition dividing the lower section into a lower and an upper chamber, a removable valve seat below the valve, said seat being threadedly mounted in thev partition vand projectingl into the upper chamber, a hollow nut screwed on to the threaded portion of the cup-shaped member and suspending the Valve above the valve seat and provided with a diametrical opening in the lower portion thereof, a pin mounted diametricallyV of the nut and normally supported by vthe bottom of the nut along aline which is at a right angle to the opening, and means within the nut and cup-shaped member for urging the valve towards its seat, said lower sectionhaving a closeable opening through which the valve seat and valve may be withdrawn when released from. their respective connections. 

